Indiana is almost universally the preseason pick to win the Big Ten this season.

The reason is simple: The Hoosiers 3 All-Big Ten caliber players in Trayce Jackson-Davis, the conference’s preseason Player of the Year, fellow big Race Thompson and point guard Xavier Johnson, plus experienced role players and potential freshman star Jalen Hood-Schifino.

But undoubtedly, the path to a championship will come with challenges, like injuries (and the Hoosiers are dealing with a couple right now), their own potential short-comings (shooting?) and others in the Big Ten (Illinois? Michigan?).

Let’s take a look at 10 things to know about the Hoosiers and a prediction:

Injury concerns?

Jackson-Davis sat out of Indiana’s exhibition win over Marian on Saturday, sitting on the sidelines with a brace on his right (non-shooting) hand.

Coach Mike Woodson says Jackson-Davis sat only as a precaution — no reason to play an experienced player in an exhibition — but it is still worth watching. IU doesn’t want even a minor injury lingering into the season.

Reserve Tamar Bates was also inactive, although his exact injury, and status going forward, is unclear.

Shooting still an issue?

The Hoosiers’ ceiling this season will be lower than desired if they’ve not remedied their recent shooting woes.

And based on the roster, it’s not exactly clear that they have. Last season, IU shot only 33-percent from 3-point range, the 4th-worst percentage in the Big Ten, and its 206 makes ranked 2nd-to-last, ahead of only Rutgers. If Indiana can’t improve its long-range shooting, then the Hoosiers’ margin for error offensively will remain low. Hitting 3-pointers can be an equalizer if IU suffers a bad free throw shooting night or has a couple too many turnovers, but without a consistent perimeter game, then the Hoosiers have to be perfect, or close to it, elsewhere.

Can IU be better?

Well, maybe, but its top perimeter shooter — Parker Stewart — is graduated. His spot in the starting lineup might be filled by Hood-Schifino, a versatile scorer and former 4-star recruit. Woodson is hoping Bates and Trey Galloway can take steps forward as perimeter threats, and Johnson can be more consistent from there, as well, but the Hoosiers are still a work-in-progress.

Expanding Jackson-Davis’ game

Jackson-Davis returned to Indiana in hopes of getting the Hoosiers a conference championship and a deeper NCAA Tournament run.

But he also did so to expand his game to be more NBA-ready. During his first 3 seasons, the undersized 6-foot-9 center has largely been a back-to-the-basket low-post scorer and dunker who has very infrequently used his jump shot. But considering he’ll play the 4 in the NBA (or anywhere in the professional ranks), a perimeter game is a must.

It’ll be interesting to see how often Woodson puts Jackson-Davis in those situations this season, considering how dominant he can be in the paint. It’s certainly a balance that Jackson-Davis, Woodson and the Hoosiers will have to find.

Repeat on D

In his 1st season in Bloomington, Woodson got the Hoosiers to buy in defensively. IU ranked tops in the Big Ten his shooting percentage allowed, as opponents hit only 39.6 percent of their field goal attempts, and the Hoosiers were 3rd in scoring defense, allowing 66.2 points per game.

Those were vast improvements over the previous year, when opponents shot 42.6 percent (10th in the league).

One would think the Hoosiers could match their focus and intensity on the defensive end this season, and they might have to, considering the limitations IU might have on the offensive end if their perimeter shooting doesn’t take an upturn.

The hunted

Indiana hasn’t been in a position as the favorite in at least a half-dozen years, certainly not with its current roster makeup. But now the Hoosiers are the front-runner, picked by many to win the Big Ten championship — it’d be their first since 2016 — and the highest-ranked conference team in the preseason AP-25, at No. 13.

Last season, with Woodson entering his 1st season, expectation levels were low, to say the least, and IU exceeded them with only a 9-11 record in the Big Ten. Granted, that was good enough to sneak into the NCAA Tournament, but repeating the mark would be seen as a big-time failure this season.

Can IU adjust to being seen as a favorite? Hard to say.

Galloway unleashed

Trey Galloway’s sophomore season never really got off the ground. He broke a wrist early in the season, forcing him to miss the next 10 games. Until upon his return, the versatile forward struggled to find his niche as many of the Hoosiers’ roles had already been defined.

But Galloway’s an important player for the Hoosiers. Galloway plays bigger than his 6-4 frame suggests, allowing him to get minutes at guard and on the wing, plus he’s been a solid scorer when he’s gotten to the rim. But so far during his career, he’s struggled from the perimeter, hitting less than 20 percent of his 3-point attempts in 2 years.

If Galloway can stay healthy and shoot the ball better, he could become a very valuable player off the bench for the Hoosiers this season.

Cranked up schedule

Last season, Indiana had one of the weakest non-conference schedules in the Big Ten, if not among the weakest of anyone in a major conference.

That won’t be so this season, as Woodson has cranked up the non-conference slate, with a true road game against Kansas, along with a Las Vegas matchup with Arizona, a Gavitt Games road contest at Xavier and the Big Ten/ACC Challenge game with North Carolina in Assembly Hall.

The schedule presents a far greater challenge than last season, when Indiana played only 2 games outside the State of Indiana during November and December, instead hosting mostly mid-major competition.

Front-court depth

Jackson-Davis and Thompson might be playing a lot of minutes for the Hoosiers this season, because A) they’re good players and B) IU doesn’t have a lot of known depth in the paint.

Sophomore Logan Duncomb might be an option for minutes off the bench, after the 6-10 center played only sparingly last season. Or Woodson could turn to talented freshman Malik Reneau, although he’s more likely to be slotted in as a backup power forward, rather than a big-bodied center. Both bigs were great in the exhibition win over Marian, turning in a pair of double-doubles. Reneau had game-highs of 14 points and 11 rebounds, while Duncomb had 11 points and 11 rebounds.

But Indiana must get quality minutes from somewhere, at least to give Jackson-Davis and Thompson a breather or to help if there’s front-court foul trouble.

Thompson delivers

Thompson has always been a solid sidekick for Jackson-Davis, because he can defend and rebound without demanding the ball too much in the low post, and he can step out to the 3-point line on occasion, as well.

Indiana would like to see even more of the latter. Thompson hit 27 percent (15-of-55) of his triples last season, numbers that he’s worked to try to increase this season. He’ll likely continue to get open looks, especially as Jackson-Davis garners defensive attention in the post.

If Thompson can become a threat that defenses must adjust for, then Indiana’s offense becomes much more dangerous.

And a prediction

Indiana tasted NCAA Tournament success again last season, winning a game in the First Four before losing in the 1st round.

It’ll make it 2 years in a row this season, as Indiana seems a lock — as much as locks can be right now — for another trip to the Dance. But the Hoosiers will make it a longer trip this season, advancing into the Sweet 16 before being halted there by a higher-seeded opponent.

While Indiana fans crave more, the journey will mark another significant step forward for Indiana under Woodson.